On Tuesday, July 6, the Salon was held with the theme: The practice of religions in society and the impact on state policies; Part of the panel in this salon were: Skender Perteshi, Scholar of Terrorism and Radicalism; Fitim Flugaj, Islamic Community of Kosovo; Don Shan Zefi, Catholic Church and Vedran Obucina, Theologian and Political Scientist from Croatia. The salon was moderated by Adelina Ahmeti, BIRN.
Emphasizing the fact that different religions are present in the Western Balkans in different countries, in principle it is very important to guarantee the freedom to believe in religion by the state. These two are related to the fact that the impact of the practice of religions on society influences state policies and their implementation.
Vedran Obucina, from the Orthodox community in Croatia, praised the level of governance in the Western European region where the state supports freedom of religion and a kind of secularism is present, however in some countries a number of concerns are present. When we talk about the influence of religious institutions in society and secularism, means that the state is separate from religion and religious institutions or groups can not influence any state policy. Croatia is characterized by an excellent legal core in terms of religions and freedom of religion.
Skender Perteshi also expressed his view on this issue. Despite the fact that Kosovo as a state is neutral towards religious issues, it still protects and secures cultural and religious heritage. It was emphasized that Kosovo has a constitutional right to protect and provide an appropriate environment, which enables each community religious or individual to freely practice his faith. In addition to the constitutional aspect, in Kosovo the legal aspect is regulated in the context of religious freedoms, where these freedoms are detailed and regulated. In practice, the state institution in relation to the religious one, are free in the way they function and organize their activities, however there is an interaction between them. This means that the state has a duty to intervene in religious issues only in legal terms, but not in theological or religious terms. So religious institutions are free to organize their activities to the point where they conflict with the legal and political order of the state.
The representative of the Islamic Community in Kosovo, Fitim Flukaj, considering as very important the guarantee of freedom of religion and non-violation of the constitution by religious institutions, stressed that state policy in Kosovo has ignored the requirements of the BIK such as: the introduction of religious education and the observance of religious dress in schools.
However, this institution since 2008 has continuously cooperated with the Office of the Prime Minister for Legal Affairs of Religious Communities, although other factors have influenced the implementation of laws and policies. So, the only influence that can be emphasized by the Islamic Community in policy-making in Kosovo is the indirect influence in drafting the country’s strategies in combating violent extremism and in the policies of the Ministry of Justice in action towards deradicalization. Meanwhile, Don Shan Zef from the Bishopric of Kosovo considered that the issue of the practice of religions and their impact on state policies is a complex in itself. The Catholic Church does not claim any influence in the state other than the realization of sound relations for the common interests of the country.
You can see the full discussion of this salon at: https://www.facebook.com/d4d.ks/videos/528299201836503
This salon was realized with the support of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung